Martha Stewart does not stop gardening when the seasons change. As the New England air grows cool, the lifestyle icon retreats to the winter greenhouse on her Bedford estate.
On Instagram, Martha effuses about her February vegetable garden. She states on her blog page: 'It’s always so great to start off the new year growing healthy, delicious, organic greens. Now that it’s winter, attention is turned toward planting and maintaining my vegetable greenhouse, so I am never without fresh produce. I already have lots of wonderful vegetables thriving inside. Yesterday, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, also transplanted young cucumbers and tomatoes started from seed.'
Furthermore, she shared her tips on the best vegetables to grow in a greenhouse, the best soil to use, and how to get the most plentiful winter harvests. Here's what she had to say.
First, Martha plants out her entire greenhouse using raised beds to organize the plants throughout. She says: 'This large structure has 16 raised flower beds. Some beds were just seeded. Some include plants that have just germinated and are in the beginning stages of growth. And some beds have young, but already established plants.'
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Martha grows a variety of plants in her winter greenhouse. She tells audiences: 'Lettuce always grows so well in this greenhouse. I always grow many varieties of lettuce so I can share them with my daughter and her children. One cannot miss the Swiss chard. They are so vibrant with stems of rose, gold, orange, and white. And do you like dill, the herb grown for its aromatic leaves and seeds, which are often used to add flavor to various dishes? I also grow bok choi, a type of Chinese cabbage, which is widely used in Asian cuisines.'
Her growing technique is simple, relying on a few tried-and-true gardening products. She states: 'At one end, Ryan sets up bean towers from Johnny's Seeds. These can also support the growing vines of cucumbers. Ryan places one plant per section. As an experiment, Ryan will keep potted tomatoes on top of heat mats to keep them a bit warmer through the season.'
Martha concludes: 'He fills each pot with Miracle-Gro [at Amazon] soil. He plants two per pot. As they develop, he will remove those that seem weak and unproductive. At 4 pm exactly, all the grow lights turn on as scheduled. I am so pleased with my vegetable greenhouse and how productive it is every year. I am looking forward to a season filled with bountiful harvests.'
Though these winter gardening tips may not turn you into Martha Stewart, they are a great place to get started with recreating her techniques in your own green space. The right soil, plants, and heat balance go a long way.
